|
|
Article: America's first response to terrorism: the Barbary pirates and the Tripolitan War of 1801.(BARBARY PIRATES)
- Article from:
- Military Review
- Article date:
- November 1, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 U.S. Army CGSC. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
There is but one language which can be held to these people, and this is terror.--General William Eaton, 1799 (1)
The people that Eaton refers to were Barbary pirates, arguably the first international terrorists the United States ever faced. In 1785 they seized a U.S. merchant ship and 21 crewmen, initiating events that would lead to America's first war on terrorism--the Tripolitan War of 1801. (2)
The challenges we are confronting today are much the same as those we faced in 1785. The decisions our leaders make and the actions the United States takes are likely to have far-reaching consequences that will affect this country and the world for many years. ...